CVE-2026-43244: kcm: fix zero-frag skb in frag_list on partial sendmsg error
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 22/100)
- The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.15% (FIRST EPSS).
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
- Fixed version: Linux Linux 6f129a251c2795ba55dd5cc1fdf7e0af3098d848, 7af58f76e4b404a74c836881a845e6652db8a09f, 9ea3671d70ee07480d80bebe86696397c4e99fb7; azl3 kernel 6.6.152.1-1 on Azure Linux 3.0 Release Notes; azl3 kernel 6.6.157.1-1 on Azure Linux 3.0 Release Notes.
- Mentioned 1 time in Turkish national cyber security advisories (siberguvenlik.gov.tr).
Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 6f129a251c2795ba55dd5cc1fdf7e0af3098d848, 7af58f76e4b404a74c836881a845e6652db8a09f, 9ea3671d70ee07480d80bebe86696397c4e99fb7; azl3 kernel 6.6.152.1-1 on Azure Linux 3.0 Release Notes; azl3 kernel 6.6.157.1-1 on Azure Linux 3.0 Release Notes or later.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: kcm: fix zero-frag skb in frag_list on partial sendmsg error Syzkaller reported a warning in kcm_write_msgs() when processing a message with a zero-fragment skb in the frag_list. When kcm_sendmsg() fills MAX_SKB_FRAGS fragments in the current skb, it allocates a new skb (tskb) and links it into the frag_list before copying data. If the copy subsequently fails (e.g. -EFAULT from user memory), tskb remains in the frag_list with zero fragments: head skb (msg being assembled, NOT yet in sk_write_queue) +-----------+ | frags[17] | (MAX_SKB_FRAGS, all filled with data) | frag_list-+--> tskb +-----------+ +----------+ | frags[0] | (empty! copy failed before filling) +----------+ For SOCK_SEQPACKET with partial data already copied, the error path saves this message via partial_message for later completion. For SOCK_SEQPACKET, sock_write_iter() automatically sets MSG_EOR, so a subsequent zero-length write(fd, NULL, 0) completes the message and queues it to sk_write_queue. kcm_write_msgs() then walks the frag_list and hits: WARN_ON(!skb_shinfo(skb)->nr_frags) TCP has a similar pattern where skbs are enqueued before data copy and cleaned up on failure via tcp_remove_empty_skb(). KCM was missing the equivalent cleanup. Fix this by tracking the predecessor skb (frag_prev) when allocating a new frag_list entry. On error, if the tail skb has zero frags, use frag_prev to unlink and free it in O(1) without walking the singly-linked frag_list. frag_prev is safe to dereference because the entire message chain is only held locally (or in kcm->seq_skb) and is not added to sk_write_queue until MSG_EOR, so the send path cannot free it underneath us. Also change the WARN_ON to WARN_ON_ONCE to avoid flooding the log if the condition is somehow hit repeatedly. There are currently no KCM selftests in the kernel tree; a simple reproducer is available at [1]. [1] https://gist.github.com/mrpre/a94d431c757e8d6f168f4dd1a3749daa
- Published
- May 6, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 30, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.1% · 4th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-401
Report tools
Action score
22
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 22 / 40 · 5.5 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.1%
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- No public exploit code on record
- A fix has been released
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
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Noroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux kernel | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- linux linux kernel4.6 and later · before 6.12.75
- linux linux kernel6.13 and later · before 6.18.16
- linux linux kernel6.19 and later · before 6.19.6
- linux linux kernel7.0
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (Linux). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
Linux Linux
- 4.6affected
- ab7ac4eb9832e32a09f4e8042705484d2fb0aad3 and later · before d6dcbcc8d630d14e9651fe93a9386b35f4dcfd56affected · git
- ab7ac4eb9832e32a09f4e8042705484d2fb0aad3 and later · before 6f129a251c2795ba55dd5cc1fdf7e0af3098d848affected · git
- ab7ac4eb9832e32a09f4e8042705484d2fb0aad3 and later · before 9ea3671d70ee07480d80bebe86696397c4e99fb7affected · git
- ab7ac4eb9832e32a09f4e8042705484d2fb0aad3 and later · before b1e3edf688a88c1a3ac41657055d9c136a08cd25affected · git
- ab7ac4eb9832e32a09f4e8042705484d2fb0aad3 and later · before 7af58f76e4b404a74c836881a845e6652db8a09faffected · git
- ab7ac4eb9832e32a09f4e8042705484d2fb0aad3 and later · before ca220141fa8ebae09765a242076b2b77338106b0affected · git
- before 4.6not affected · semver
- 6.1.191 and later · up to and including 6.1.*not affected · semver
- 6.6.160 and later · up to and including 6.6.*not affected · semver
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | linux | from 0 | — |
| Debian:13 | linux | before 6.12.85-1 | 6.12.85-1 |
| Debian:14 | linux | before 6.19.6-1 | 6.19.6-1 |
Same product
linux: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2026-31431crypto: algif_aead - Revert to operating out-of-placeKEV90Now
- CVE-2022-0847A flaw was found in the way the "flags" member of the new pipe buffer structure was lacking proper initialization in copy_page_to_iter_pipe KEV89Now
- CVE-2021-22555Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACEKEV85Now
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2026-43240May 6, 2026 · x86/kexec: add a sanity check on previous kernel's ima kexec buffer22Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2026-43243May 6, 2026 · drm/amd/display: Add signal type check for dcn401 get_phyd32clk_src22Monitor
- Later →CVE-2026-43248May 6, 2026 · vhost: move vdpa group bound check to vhost_vdpa31Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Linux Linux | 6f129a251c2795ba55dd5cc1fdf7e0af3098d848 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | 7af58f76e4b404a74c836881a845e6652db8a09f | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | 9ea3671d70ee07480d80bebe86696397c4e99fb7 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | b1e3edf688a88c1a3ac41657055d9c136a08cd25 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | ca220141fa8ebae09765a242076b2b77338106b0 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | d6dcbcc8d630d14e9651fe93a9386b35f4dcfd56 | Vendor (CNA) |
| azl3 kernel 6.6.152.1-1 on Azure Linux 3.0 | Release Notes | Microsoft (MSRC) |
| azl3 kernel 6.6.157.1-1 on Azure Linux 3.0 | Release Notes | Microsoft (MSRC) |
| debian:linux | 6.12.85-1 · Debian:13 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
No history yet (it accumulates with the daily EPSS job).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
National notice (Türkiye Cybersecurity Directorate / USOM)
Official security notices citing this record; remediation advice is on the agency's page.
- TR-26-0196 · May 8, 2026(Linux Kernel Güvenlik Bildirimi)
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- none
- Integrity
- none
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- None
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-401 · Missing Release of Memory after Effective LifetimeCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (5 more)Show less
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/7af58f76e4b404a74c836881a845e6652db8a09f
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/9ea3671d70ee07480d80bebe86696397c4e99fb7
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/b1e3edf688a88c1a3ac41657055d9c136a08cd25
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/ca220141fa8ebae09765a242076b2b77338106b0
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/d6dcbcc8d630d14e9651fe93a9386b35f4dcfd56
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.